Legislative briefs: High school sports; mixed martial arts regulation

Feb. 28, 2013

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From staff reports

High school sports livestreaming sent to governor

PIERRE — The South Dakota House of Representative gave final approval Wednesday to a measure prohibiting exclusive contracts for school sports coverage. The bill passed 50-20 and is headed to Gov. Dennis Daugaard to sign.

Senate Bill 119 would prohibit exclusive contracts for sports coverage, such as a $10,000 deal between the Pierre School District and a local radio station.

Supporters say the plan would not prevent school districts from charging reasonable fees for that access, as long as each outlet pays the same price.

Fighting sports regulation approved

South Dakota is on the verge of regulating fighting sports such as boxing, karate and mixed martial arts.

A bill to create a fight commission passed the House 50-20, despite objections that mixed martial arts was so dangerous it should be banned.

“Just the visceral perception from the average person is, this thing is violent,” said Rep. Steve Hickey, R-Sioux Falls, who led the charge against mixed martial arts in the Legislature. “I just can’t imagine us giving the green light to this and bringing in this industry.”

He pitched his amendment as a compromise — to allow a commission to oversee boxing, karate and other traditional fighting sports, but draw the line at mixed martial arts.

But the House rejected the amendment 43-27.

Among the regulations a commission could impose would be medical personnel at fights, insurance for bouts, blood tests for fighters, and mandatory bans for fighters who sustain concussions.

Daugaard could sign the bill, veto it, or let it become law without his signature. Both houses of the Legislature passed the fight commission bill with margins sufficient to override any veto.

hang on funding question

An update this morning on South Dakota’s finances will show lawmakers how much money they’ll have for a range of bills, including several that affect education.

At this time last year, a positive update on tax revenues led to the injection of $8.7 million — about $69 per student — into public schools. This year, new teachers and college students could be among the beneficiaries through two new scholarship programs under consideration.

Senate Bill 237 would make South Dakota the last state in the nation to have a state-funded college scholarship based on the student’s inability to pay. It passed the Senate 33-0 and awaits action by the House Appropriations Committee.

Senate Bill 233 would provide scholarships for college students who agree to teach for five years in high-demand subjects or geographic areas of South Dakota. It passed the Senate 29-4 and awaits action in the same House committee. The teacher scholarship bill won a 12-3 vote Wednesday from the House Education Committee, which advanced it to the appropriators.